West
Virginia Adventure
Ages 14-17
Sunday
July 5 to Friday July 17, 2009
There is a reason that John Denver memorialized West
Virginia as "Almost Heaven" in his famous song Country
Roads. It's because of the striking landscapes
including steep-sided mountains, deep green valleys and wide
flowing rivers. Two trained expedition
leaders will lead a maximum of 9 participants, ages 14-17,
on this southern adventure. We will take in breathtaking
views and explore some of the most exciting activities that
West Virginia has to offer.
Your expedition begins at the W. Alton Jones Campus where you
will spend Sunday night at the Expedition Base Camp. You will have an orientation to the rules, enjoy a
cook-out, play games and do activities that will help you
get to know your trip mates. You will learn more about the details of your trip and
get all of the equipment and food ready to go. After an
all-group campfire you will head off for a good night's sleep.
It is a long drive from Rhode Island to West Virginia, so we
will leave early on Monday morning and drive about two thirds
of the distance by van, stopping in Pennsylvania--about a
nine-hour drive. There we will set up camp at Ohiopyle
State Park and prepare to experience a taste of the adventures
to come since on Tuesday we will go on the first of three whitewater rafting trips. This
adventure will also help to break up the long drive south.
After rafting on Tuesday we will camp one more night in
Pennsylvania before traveling the rest of the way to West
Virginia, about a four-hour drive. For the remainder of
the expedition we will camp at the 1,400 acre Ace Adventure
Center Resort in Oak Hill, West Virginia. Ace provides
base camping, facilities, guides, and activities just for
groups and expedition programs like ours.
From Wednesday on, it will be a roller coaster ride of
experiences. You will go on two additional whitewater rafting
trips, a caving excursion, a high ropes challenge course, a
zip-line tree canopy tour, a day hike, a mud obstacle course,
a sunset horseback riding, and a ranger guided
tour of New River Gorge National Park. Each of the rafting trips
will get slightly more challenging and exhilarating as you
explore river gorges and canyons. On some of
the rafting trips your group will have the choice to ride in a
traditional raft or take "duckies", which are single
person rafts.
Even with the full schedule, there will be plenty of time for
swimming, playing games, or just hanging out with your
group-mates. Monday of the second week will include food
shopping as provisions will need to be replenished part
way through the trip, laundry, and hang-out time at the
lake. Although some of the meals will be
provided, most meals will be prepared by group members on
camping stoves and eaten at the campsite. As with other
expeditions, everyone
will share in the responsibilities of getting water, preparing
meals, and cleaning up afterwards. The group will practice concentrated impact camping
techniques. This involves camping in such a manner that will
preserve the beauty of the area. We will carry out trash, use biodegradable soap,
respect natural
inhabitants, and properly dispose of human waste. An emphasis
is placed on being as sensitive as possible to the natural areas
that we visit.
The return trip will include an overnight stop at a campground
in Hershey, Pennsylvania. This will break up the long
drive back to camp. In Hershey you will visit the
Hershey Chocolate Museum where you will learn how tropical
rain forests play a critical role in producing
chocolate. After eating out and a good night's sleep,
the group will drive the rest of the way back to Alton
Jones.
Although the schedule is subject to change, here is the
planned itinerary:
Additional Information on Each
Part of the Experience
Day 1 Sunday: Check-in, cook-out, campfire, pack
Day 2 Monday: Drive 9 hours to Ohiopyle State Park, set up
camp
Day 3 Tuesday: White Water Rafting on the Lower Yaugh River
Day 4 Wednesday: Drive 4 hours to Ace Adventures campsite, set
up camp, swim
Day 5 Thursday: White Water Rafting on the Lower New River
Day 6 Friday: Zip-Line Tree Canopy Tour
Day 7 Saturday: Morning High Ropes Course, Afternoon
Ranger-Guided Hike in New River Gorge National Park
Day 8 Sunday: White Water Rafting on the Upper New River
Day 9 Monday: Food Shopping, Laundry, Hang-Out Time at Lake,
Sunset Horseback Riding
Day 10 Tuesday: Morning Mud Obstacle Course, Afternoon Plum
Orchard Day Hike
Day 11 Wednesday: Caving
Day 12 Thursday: Drive 6 hours to Hershey Pennsylvania, Visit
Hershey Chocolate Museum
Final Day Friday: Drive 6 hours to Alton Jones for wrap-up and
check-out
The West Virginia Adventure will be highly demanding in terms
of stamina, endurance, and strength required. This is
not an armchair adventure. Each participant will be
involved in a whirlwind of multisport activities. Participants
should
be in reasonably good physical condition that will enable
them to paddle, hike, bike, and remain physically active sometimes more than six hours
each day (with adequate rest stops). If you are unsure of your physical
condition, do some exercising before the trip. Bike riding,
jogging, swimming, push-ups, sit-ups, and lots of brisk walking
are some good ways to get muscles in shape and build endurance.
All participants are expected to cooperate with fellow group
members and leaders and abide by all safety rules.
Participant families are responsible for travel costs home if
you get sick, injure yourself or break the rules such that you will no
longer be able to participate. In preparing
for the expedition, you may want to spend some time thinking
about why you have chosen this trip and what you hope to learn
from your West Virginia Adventure.
Experience is not a requirement, but a positive attitude
and a willingness to have fun while learning are!
"Almost heaven, West Virginia
Blue ridge mountains
Shenandoah river -
Life is old there
Older than the trees
Younger than the mountains
Growin' like a breeze
"Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain momma
Take me home, country roads"
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